


Breaking the Triangle

by mage_989



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Drinking & Talking, M/M, Relationship(s), Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2015-09-16
Packaged: 2018-04-21 00:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4808063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_989/pseuds/mage_989
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-TMP. Jim is worried that his emerging relationship with Spock will ruin his friendship with McCoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking the Triangle

The threat known as V’Ger had been neutralized. The adrenaline of the crisis had fled. Now it was just the two of them in the turbolift heading off-shift. Jim stood close to Spock, letting their arms brush together. He kept them close as the exited the lift and walked down to the door that designated Spock’s quarters.

“Can I come in?”

Spock stiffened, expecting a harsh reaction because he would have to decline his request.

“Jim, I require meditation.”

Jim nodded.

“Of course, after that mind meld I’m sure you have a lot to sort through.”

“I’m sorry I don’t wish for you to think that I-“

“It’s all right I promise,” Jim said, as he smiled and lifted up his hand, extending his first two fingers. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Spock raised his hand and reciprocated the kiss.

“Thank you, Jim.”

Spock then went into his quarters and the door closed behind him.

Jim wasn’t remotely tired so he passed his own quarters and started walking faster. He wanted to go to the observation deck to sort through some of his own thoughts. But he had barely stepped into the room when he saw Scotty and Uhura asleep in each other’s arms on one of the couches. _Well would wonders never cease?_ Scotty had finally found someone he loved more than the silver lady of the fleet. Jim backed out quietly and commanded the door locked so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Jim settled for wandering the halls with his thoughts instead, nodding to any gamma shift crew members he passed by. He should be ecstatic, and in many respects he was. Spock had come back to him after he thought he would never see him again, and they had a future together. He had reconnected with Bones after drifting apart…and he was afraid of doing it again. That was the root of his problem. He needed Spock in his life, but he also needed Bones’ steady hand to keep him on the right path. Not to mention his sarcastic quips whenever he had done something particularly stupid. How would that work with him in, what he hoped would be, a lifetime commitment? To put Spock above everyone else, including his friends; would Bones feel betrayed if he and Spock continued to move their relationship forward? Would Jim get so caught up with Spock that he would neglect his best friend? They had done it before, kept things from him, ignored his feelings. Not of malice, but a simple lack of thought.

Jim steeled himself. Well he wasn’t going to do that this time. He was going to talk to Bones. He didn’t want to leave his friend alone.

Quickly Jim walked to sickbay and knocked on his office door.

“Come in.”

The door slide open and Jim stepped inside.

“Bones, you busy?”

McCoy turned his chair away from his computer to face Jim.

“Never too busy for you, Jim, have a seat.”

Jim sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk.

“What brings you to these parts so late? Don’t tell me you two have had a fight already.”

Jim looked down at his lap, folding his hands together and staring at them. “No, no it’s…well it’s rather hard to explain.”

McCoy got up and pulled out a small bottle and two glasses from a cabinet.

“Here,” he said, filling the glasses and putting one in front of Jim. “I find it helps loosen any tongue.”

Jim accepted the glass gratefully. “Cheers,” he said, drinking it down.

McCoy took a drink from his own glass and leaned back in his chair; letting his body relax. “You did good today, Jim.”

“You did too, Bones; new sickbay isn’t so bad is it?”

“Now I didn’t say that. In fact I’ll say that I hate the new layout. I keep hitting my leg on the edge of the beds when I leave this office.”

At that moment the door opened and Christine Chapel came in.

“Leonard, I found a wonderful table pattern that should work with the flowers and-oh, Captain, I’m-I’m sorry I thought he was alone.”

“It’s fine Nur-Doctor Chapel,” he responded, but Christine blushed in embarrassment anyway.

McCoy chuckled and smiled at Christine.

“Sounds wonderful; I’ll be there to look it over in a few minutes, Christine.”

Christine nodded and then sighed when she noticed the glasses and bottle on the desk.

“Oh, Leonard, you promised you wouldn’t.”

“I made that promise to your mother, my dear, and I only have to keep it for the two weeks before the wedding.”

Christine just shook her head, smiling, and left the office.

McCoy turned his attention back to Jim, pouring him another drink.

“Her mother is a lovely lady, really, but insists on a particular type of spirit for her drink, and this isn’t it.”

Well it was his, Jim thought as he swirled the amber liquid around and then finished his glass again. Still that exchange with his former nurse had left Jim curious.

“What’s this about a wedding, Bones?”

McCoy took a long drink from his glass and glanced up to make sure the door was closed before answering.

“Please don’t tell anyone, Jim, we weren’t going to start sending out the invitations until we got back to Earth.” He lowered his eyes for a moment and downed the last of his drink. “Actually it’s probably a good thing it came up now… because I wanted to ask you to be my best man.”

Jim was glad he had finished his drink, otherwise he would have spit it out at those words; and that just would have been a waste of good liquor.

“Your-your best man?! Bones, this is your wedding we’re talking about?”

“Yes, Jim, I’m still a doctor, not a wedding coordinator…you will do it, won’t you?”

“Of course I will! It-it’s just a surprise that’s all. I mean after Jocelyn I didn’t think you’d ever want to get married again.”

“I didn’t think so either at first, but as corny as it sounds I’m ready to try again, to love again.” He smiled wide, his bright blue eyes shining with joy. “I’m happy, Jim.”

“And I’m so happy for you, Bones, like I said it’s just surprising…and with Christine, I didn’t even know you two had even seen each other since we all left the Enterprise after the last mission. I should have talked to you more.”

McCoy shrugged. “It’s my fault too, Jim, I haven’t been keeping in touch. Christine and I ran into each other again at a medical conference about a year ago. It was nice to be with someone familiar then. We got to talking and…well you know how it goes.”

Yes he did, it was happening to him too. And here he had been so concerned about Bones being alone if he began a relationship with Spock; now he had learned that Bones had already moved on without him. He had gone on living his life, while Jim had been floundering in his. Yet, they had still been able to keep the friendship intact with McCoy on his way to the altar, so obviously they could keep it together when he did it too. He was just going to have to work at it.

Jim reached out for his friend’s arm and squeezed it gently.

“Well we’re going to keep in touch now, Bones, I want to hear about everything I’ve missed.”

“Wait a minute, Jim, I thought you came in here with a problem?”

_And you’ve already solved it, Bones._ Jim thought. “Never mind that, have you two planned a honeymoon?”

The End


End file.
